A Day at the Ballpark
by AKs Padded Parables
Summary: A bit of comfort art inspired by a dream I had.


DISCLAIMER: I do not own AATC or its characters. I own only Austin and this story.

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Five year-old chipmunk Austin Keith was rather small for his age; a mere 2'3" tall. Stubborn at times, he'd fought against toilet training because diapers were more comfortable than the briefs his parents had forced him to wear. Eventually, after enough 'accidents' and a confrontation or two, the boy was padded up as he desired. Now, a few years removed from that trying time, he was generally a peaceful, happy camper, and a smart one at that.

On this day in particular, he climbed out of bed with nothing more on his mind than to than his favorite video game, Pokemon X. First, though,he needed his squishy, wet diaper changed so he could get nice and comfortable. Crossing the hall to one of his brothers' rooms, he found Simon awake and, surprisingly, ready to leave the house.

"Austin, why aren't you… did you just wake up?" the teen asked. Austin nodded, not usually one for words. Sighing, the elder chipmunk picked up his youngest brother and carried him back across the hall. His deft, practiced hands took only a few, brief minutes to change the boy into a fresh, clean diaper. As usual, it was white with orange around the legs and waist.

"Now, we're going to a baseball game soon, so you need to get ready," Simon explained. Austin gave a nod; his brother setting him down and heading back to his own room. Left alone, the little tyke padded over to his closet and stepped inside. First, he pulled on some socks and his favorite white, black and orange sneakers. With those on, he pulled out his trusty cloak.

Austin's most treasured possession was, in reality, a modified blanket. Altered by one of the Miller girls, Jeanette, it featured a hood, sleeves, and a plastic zipper to close up the front. The fabric was just shy of black and dotted with Texas Longhorns logos. When worn, the unique garment fell to its owner's ankles, almost touching his shoes.

Pulling on the cloak, Austin zipped it up before leaving the closet. Leaving behind a tidy room with no lights on, he headed out into the hallway and, once again, ran into Simon. The blue-clad teen looked his baby brother over with a knowing grin.

"Just cloak and diaper, am I right?" he surmised. Austin blushed, but gave a slight nod. Simon wrapped an arm around the little tyke and winked at him. Nothing further was said about the five year-old's attire, despite his mother having disallowed it once before. Eventually, all seven Sevilles gathered in the family SUV and headed off towards the city's major league ballpark.

30 minutes later, they'd arrived at their seats as the visiting team took batting practice. Seeing as the kids had no interest in said team, the family opted to grab lunch before the game began. Austin, not wanting to dirty up his cloak, chose a corn dog and fries for his meal. After eating, he dusted crumbs off his lap and waited for the game to begin.

Before the first pitch could be thrown, however, Austin faced a small dilemma. Since it was the middle of the summer, his thick cloak was far from comfortable. Getting a bit hot, he considered the option of unzipping the insulative garment. While he would certainly be cooler, this would leave him exposed and thus potentially anger his mother. Vinny was halfway down the row, though, and he was dwarfed- and somewhat concealed- by his adult-sized stadium seat.

Hesitantly, Austin unzipped the cloak and exhaled as he felt a rush of cool air. No one seemed to notice, thankfully, so he remained this way as the game began. It was an enjoyable event; the brothers even went for ice cream during the seventh inning stretch. Austin of course zipped up his cloak for this excursion, but unzipped it again when they returned. Eventually, the game ended and it seemed everyone in the stadium was in a particular hurry to leave.

Due to the unexpected rush, Austin had no time to stoop and zip up his cloak. Embarrassingly, he walked the entire way out of the stadium partially exposed. Thankfully, his parents were in front of him, so again he was not chastised. The young boy could not help but feel a bit excited as he followed his brothers towards the lot where they'd parked. Here he was, wearing scarcely more than his diaper in public, and no one seemed to care.

After a few, exhilarating minutes, the Sevilles gathered around their SUV and piled inside. All consumed in conversation, none of the others- save for Simon- noticed Austin's attire, or rather, lack thereof. Shedding his cloak entirely, Austin snuggled up to his bespectacled brother in the back seat. The 11 year-old wrapped an arm around his sibling, smiling down at him. No words were exchanged, but the two boys knew they would be close for a long time to come.


End file.
